The Sahel Scholars’ Programme (SASP) is an annual programme that was introduced by Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited (SCANL) and Sahel Capital Agribusiness Managers Limited (SCAML) in 2017, to empower outstanding Nigerian students through mentorship, hands-on experience and scholarships. SASP started with the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and has extended to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ife in 2018.
Under the framework of SASP, Sahel held a one-day conference themed ‘Opportunities in the Agribusiness Landscape’ for students in ABU, OAU and UNN. Professors in the Faculties of Agriculture from the three schools and key players in the agribusiness landscape participated in the conferences. The guest speakers were Chief Sunday Ezeobiora, the Executive Director of Sunchi Integrated Farms Limited, Dr. Onyedi Ayalogu, Co-founder of Phinomar Nigeria Limited, Prince Olabode Adetoyi, the Managing Director of Hi-Nutrients International Limited and Alhaji MD Abubakar, the Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms Limited. A total of 618 students, 38 professors and 4 guest speakers participated in the SASP conferences in ABU, OAU and UNN.
The Sahel team made presentations on agricultural value chains and facilitated panel discussions on the career opportunities and success factors in agribusiness. The invited agribusiness industry players shared deep insights on their experiences in agriculture and highlighted the opportunities that exist for students in the agriculture sector. The students were also engaged in group competitions that tasked them to think through, discuss and present the challenges in key agriculture value chains (cassava, yam, palm oil, diary & poultry) and potential solutions to the challenges.
The students were inspired as they engaged the guest speakers who shared motivational stories about their careers in agribusiness. It was a worthwhile experience for all the participants. In addition to facilitating the conferences, the Sahel team administered aptitude tests and held interviews for students shortlisted for the scholarships and entry level recruitment.
